Report: Scanners cost less than touch-screen machines

Please take a minute right now to call Gov. O'Malley's office and urge him to fund this in the budget he will introduce in Jan. Very little money should be needed in FY2012 for the switch.  The governor's office phone numbers are: 410.974.3901 / 1.800.811.8336

Phone calls are much more effective, but you can also use our click & send email at:
http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/302/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=5179

Thanks for all your do to protect our elections, and happy holidays!   -- Rebecca

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Friday, Dec. 24, 2010

Report: Scanners cost less than touch-screen machines

Advocates hope that change will be funded

by Alan Brody | Staff writer

ANNAPOLIS — Maryland would save as much as $9.5 million over eight years by switching to an optical-scan voting system, according to a new report that advocates hope will spur Gov. Martin O'Malley and legislative leaders to start funding the replacement of the current touch-screen machines in fiscal 2012.

The independent analysis, conducted by a North Carolina research firm for the Department of Legislative Services, appears to confirm what supporters of a voter-verified paper trail system have long argued: It costs more money to maintain the current equipment than to purchase new machines that allow voters to print out paper receipts of their selections.

Read the rest at:

http://www.gazette.net/stories/12242010/polinew172811_32537.php

 

Rebecca Wilson
SAVEourVotes.org

SAVE our Votes is a nonpartisan grassroots organization working for
Secure, Accessible, Verifiable Elections in Maryland.